School District 24 libraries seeking $60k contest prize

Members of Brooklyn Avenue’s third-grade class were ready to vote in 2019’s Follett Challenge contest.

Courtesy School District 24

By Peter Belfiore

Starting Jan. 21, parents and children alike can visit follettchallenge.com and vote to help School District 24 secure a $60,000 grand prize for its three elementary-school libraries.

As part of the contest, the district’s three library media specialists — Stephanie Cuozzo, Karen Mylan and Kate Lallier — joined forces to apply to the contest, competing against school libraries nationwide, for funds to purchase additional books.

Those interested can vote once a day from Jan. 21 to Jan. 25 on the contest’s website to increase District 24’s chances of winning. As part of the application, the library media specialists produced a short video, showcasing some of the things students have learned at school.

The escape-room inspired video, titled “Breaking into the Library,” showcases students working together to solve puzzles in order to open a locked box. It can currently be viewed on YouTube, but will be on the Follett Challenge website when polls go live.

School District 24 had won $6,000 through the challenge in 2015, and Cuozzo said she would like to do even better this year. “Now we’re back to win the big one,” she said.